Accomplished journalists worldwide are eligible for a fellowship at Stanford University in the state of California, for nine months of independent study and reflection. The John S Knight Fellowships at Stanford are open to all kinds of journalists from outside the US, including anchors, photographers, Web editors, producers and cartoonists. The programme selects six to eight candidates with at least five years of experience and good command of English.
ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION:
Between six and eight fellowships are offered each year to professional journalists from news organisations outside the United States.
- International Fellows are chosen by the same rigorous standards as the US Fellows, and all academic features of the fellowship programme are identical.
- International Fellows, however, are financed separately by grants from a variety of sources, including the Fulbright program, the Knight Foundation, the Hearst Foundation, the Shinyoung Journalism Fund, and the Lyle and Corrine Nelson International Journalism Fellowship Fund.
- Rules regarding eligibility, selection procedures, and application deadlines vary somewhat, depending on the sponsors. But all international applicants must have five years of professional journalism experience.
- International Fellows, like US Fellows, agree to spend the academic terms in residence at Stanford, to participate in the seminars and activities of the fellowship programme, to do no professional work during their fellowship year, and to return to their news organisation at the end of the fellowship.
- Sponsors’ support for International Fellows varies, but each International Fellow receives the same total support as US Fellows plus travel expenses for the Fellow.
- Candidates write two essays: an intellectual autobiography, and a statement of how they propose to spend the fellowship year, indicating specific areas of study. Applicants must submit a letter from their employer endorsing their application and granting a leave of absence if chosen for a fellowship.
- Three letters of recommendation, including one from the applicant’s immediate supervisor, are required as well as work samples.
- Each application is read independently by three reviewers – the Programme Director, the Deputy Director, and a third experienced journalist. From these, 25 to 30 semifinalists are chosen to be interviewed at Stanford. Final evaluations are done by the Programme Committee, composed of senior Stanford faculty members and prominent journalists.
- Applicants must be fluent in written and spoken English. All materials submitted must be in English. If samples of the applicant's work are in another language, English translations must be provided.
FINANCIAL BENEFITS:
Knight Fellows receive a stipend of $55,000, paid in 10 monthly installments during the academic year from September through June. The programme also pays Stanford tuition for each fellow. To help offset the high cost of living in the Palo Alto area, the Knight Fellowships provides supplements for housing, child care, health insurance and helps pay for books.
CONTACT:
For an application and more information, visit the website: http://knight.stanford.edu
John S. Knight Fellowships
Building 120, Room 424
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2050
Phone: (650) 723-4937
FAX: (650) 725-6154
Email: knight-info@lists.stanford.edu
